Hop Explosion
Allentown Brew Works

Hop ExplosionHop Explosion
Beer Geek Stats | Print Shelf Talker
From:
Allentown Brew Works
 
Pennsylvania, United States
Style:
American IPA
ABV:
7%
Score:
81
Avg:
3.58 | pDev: 15.08%
Reviews:
58
Ratings:
220
Status:
Active
Rated:
Sep 05, 2021
Added:
Nov 23, 2007
Wants:
  7
Gots:
  39
No description / notes.
Recent ratings and reviews. | Log in to view more ratings + sorting options.
Ratings by ales4baldo:
Photo of ales4baldo
Rated by ales4baldo from California

3.5/5  rDev -2.2%

Mar 09, 2012
More User Ratings:
 
Rated: 3.75 by plaid75 from New York

Sep 05, 2021
Photo of DuaneL
Rated by DuaneL from Delaware

4/5  rDev +11.7%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 4
This is nice - but think it's a seasonal - so hard to find. We'll have to keep an eye out!!
Jan 26, 2020
 
Rated: 3.72 by SouthCrescent from Pennsylvania

Dec 22, 2019
 
Rated: 3.56 by ogman from Pennsylvania

Mar 17, 2019
 
Rated: 3.83 by LarryMyers from Pennsylvania

Mar 15, 2018
 
Rated: 2.97 by bdoherty79 from Pennsylvania

Sep 27, 2017
Photo of MikeWard
Reviewed by MikeWard from Pennsylvania

3.31/5  rDev -7.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 2.75 | overall: 3.25
12oz bottle into a pint glass NO freshness dating.

looks decent enough. deep coppery body with a small off white head which only slightly dissipates to a solid covering and thick ring. average lacing.

aroma is malty and slightly earthy. uh-oh, may be an old beer.

well the hops must have all exploded out of the bottle, because they are not present at all. There is a solid malt presence, a decent pepperiness initially, and a slight earthiness. This isn't too bad. But It then turns to a rough sourness which is non too pleasant.

Mouth is around medium, finish is that awful sourness.

Overall, likely an old beer and it doesn't age well at all. some old ipa's seem to evolve into a decent balance. This is not one of them. I would suggest avoiding this beer unless you are sitting at one of their brewpubs and it's on tap.
Aug 11, 2017
 
Rated: 3.73 by Zaktcc from Maryland

Mar 13, 2017
Photo of jameswaldo
Reviewed by jameswaldo from New York

3.39/5  rDev -5.3%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.75 | overall: 3.5
Just got a 12 oz bottle from a friend who doesn't like hops much. No clue how old this bottle is. Why does a brewery put "50930152B0446" in dot-matrix ink on the bottom of a bottle instead of a best-before date, or date of brewing? Maybe Allentown Brew Works thinks this beer will keep so long it can't go stale?
Anyway, I pour the bottle into a pint glass to get a good head. Looks surprisingly dark for an Indian "Pale" Ale. My SRM Beer Color Chart puts it at SRM 11, with nice turbidity and a fairly lasting head. Some lacing as I drink it down, but not quite as much as I'd like.
Smell is very barley wine, ethanol and maybe some other strange solvent, red to dark roast malt. No hops in this nose. I'd like more hops smell. Maybe it's an old bottle?
Taste is better than it looks: a nice bitter solid hop bite with large sweet malty syrup dancing around an ethanol fume you'd think more than 7% ABV for all the high-octane vibes this brew's ringing. Good hop bitter aftertaste, too.
Mouthfeel is a bit chemical, like ether, but carbonation's just right.
Not that I'd ever look a gift beer in the mouth, but I'd like to know how long ago this ale was bottled, as something tastes and smells not quite right with this nearly red ale.
Sep 25, 2016
 
Rated: 3.58 by cdman56 from Pennsylvania

Aug 06, 2016
Photo of BsRblu
Rated by BsRblu from Pennsylvania

3.88/5  rDev +8.4%
look: 3.75 | smell: 3.75 | taste: 4 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Very nice, easy drinking IPA. Not as explosively hoppy as name suggests, if you are one who can't get enough hops.
May 20, 2016
 
Rated: 3.54 by tdm168 from Pennsylvania

Mar 06, 2016
 
Rated: 3.58 by JPowell712 from Pennsylvania

Mar 02, 2016
 
Rated: 4.17 by Dougwillhike from New Jersey

Feb 04, 2016
Photo of PA-hunter
Reviewed by PA-hunter from Pennsylvania

3.87/5  rDev +8.1%
look: 3 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4 | overall: 3.75
Poured 12oz bottle into snifter glass. 7% abv.

Appearance- Pours a dull copper orange. Huge head over 3 fingers (too much and course bubbles). Very hazy.

Smell- Grapefruit, bready malt, pine resin.

Taste- A very fruity grapefruit taste combined with a sweet bread malt comes first. Notes of honey bring sweetness and the bitterness builds to a dank pine flavor. The pine persists on the palate through the flavor profile.

Mouthfeel- Medium heavy in body with active carbonation.

Overall- A tastey flavorful IPA that combines grapefruit with pine. The head on this beer was way too much for opening an unagitated beer. May be a carbonation bottling issue but this did not effect the taste since it was quite good for the style.
Dec 30, 2015
Photo of JimandTracey
Rated by JimandTracey

1.85/5  rDev -48.3%
look: 2 | smell: 2 | taste: 2 | feel: 1 | overall: 1.75
Too carbonated. Not hoppy enough. Flat finish.
Dec 28, 2015
 
Rated: 3.6 by BeerForMuscle from New Jersey

Dec 26, 2015
 
Rated: 3.88 by Colin32 from Pennsylvania

Dec 13, 2015
 
Rated: 3.65 by tedho21 from Pennsylvania

Nov 22, 2015
Hop Explosion from Allentown Brew Works
Beer rating: 81 out of 100 with 220 ratings